The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has banned meal-replacement product Soylent.

According to an announcement from Soylent, the agency
found that the product does “not meet a select few of the CFIA
requirements for a ‘meal replacement'"; effective this week, it cannot
be sold in the country.

A note from Soylent CEO Rob Rhinehart seems to rebut the
decision, implying that the agency’s standards are outdated. It also
states that Soylent will abide by the government decision — although
it’s not exactly like Soylent has a choice here.

“We feel strongly that these requirements do not reflect
the current understanding of human nutritional needs, we respect the
CFIA’s regulations and will fully comply with any regulatory action they
deem appropriate.”

Soylent, which The Verge
has described as “powdered science” and “a thick nutritional sludge” is
intended as a futuristic substitute for eating actual meals — the
powdered substance is mixed into a relatively flavorless drink that
gives the drinker the calories and nutrients that a meal would normally
provide. Developed in Silicon Valley, it is marketed at tech industry
types who are too busy or important to lose precious time to purchasing
or preparing food with flavors and textures....MORE